Nova Constellatio patterns and the later Nova Constellatio coppers occupy an unusual place in early American numismatics. They reflect a moment when the United States, still operating under the Continental Congress, was searching for a credible national coinage system. At the time, the nation had neither a fully developed mint nor a steady supply of small-change coins. The result was a two-part story: an official, concept-driven set of pattern coins and a separate, commercially oriented copper issue that would circulate.
A National Coinage Experiment
In 1783, Robert Morris, acting on behalf of the Continental Congress, pursued a practical solution to the country’s monetary disorder. Instead of using the familiar dollar, Morris proposed a decimal system built on smaller “units.” To help communicate what that system could look like in metal, he employed Benjamin Dudley, an English-born emigrant in America and skilled diemaker and metallurgist, to prepare designs for pattern pieces.
The patterns came in silver 100-, 500-, and 1,000-unit pieces, plus a 5-unit piece in copper. Because they were patterns, their purpose was demonstrative rather than commercial. They were produced in very limited numbers to show lawmakers and financial decision-makers what a potential national coinage might look like and how the proposed unit system could be expressed on real pieces.
Recognizing the Nova Constellatio Design
The designs are distinctive and symbolic. The obverse centers on the Eye of Providence, with rays emanating outward and thirteen stars placed between the rays. The surrounding legend reads “NOVA CONSTELLATIO”, Latin for “New Constellation”. The message was aspirational: a new nation, represented as a new arrangement of stars.
The reverse of the patterns features a wreath framing the letters “US”, with the denomination stated on the piece. Around the outer border appears another Latin motto, “LIBERTAS JUSTITIA”, meaning “Liberty and Justice”. The date is placed at the bottom. Taken together, the motifs and mottos create a compact national statement: providence, unity, liberty, justice, and an identifiable “US” at the center.
Copper Issues, Varieties, and Survival
From these pattern concepts, collectors and researchers have long believed that the Nova Constellatio copper coinage was born. Unlike the silver patterns, the coppers were made in quantity and were intended to function as small change. They were struck primarily with the dates 1783 and 1785, with a rare variety dated 1786. Production is generally associated with Birmingham, England, after which the coins were shipped to New York, where they circulated in response to persistent coin shortages.
At least seven major types are recognized, and the differences are visible even to non-specialists once the key diagnostics are known. Some varieties rearrange word order in the legends. Others change the look of the rays around the Eye of Providence, most notably the contrast between pointed rays and blunt rays. Other varieties alter the “US” on the reverse, using small or large letters in script or plain type.
Among the 1783-dated coppers, one variety shows pointed rays with a smaller “US” rendered in a simpler style rather than the later script look. Another 1783 variety retains pointed rays but uses a larger “US.” A third 1783 style shifts to blunt rays, giving the obverse a noticeably different texture and visual rhythm.
Among the 1785-dated coppers, one major type has blunt rays and the misspelling “CONSTELATIO”. The other major 1785 types use pointed rays with “CONSTELLATIO” spelled correctly (including a variety with a small/close date).
Importantly, the dates on these coppers do not necessarily indicate the year they were struck. In this traditional interpretation, pieces dated 1783 may not have entered American circulation until roughly 1785 or 1786. The 1786-dated copper is exceptionally rare. Only about 15 pieces are thought to survive, underscoring how irregular the minting run was.
Collectors value Nova Constellatio because it links an official national concept to a copper coinage that met real marketplace needs.
